Wounded veteran, actor discusses injury, recovery

Updated 11:21 pm, Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Photo: BILLY CALZADA, San Antonio Express-News

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J.R. Martinez, an Iraq War veteran and actor, shakes hands with an audience member as he speaks at San Antonio College on Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Martinez, a “Dancing With the Stars” champ, was badly burned while serving in Iraq in 2003.

J.R. Martinez, an Iraq War veteran and actor, shakes hands with an audience member as he speaks at San Antonio College on Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Martinez, a “Dancing With the Stars” champ, was badly

In this Nov. 14, 2011 image released by ABC, war veteran J.R. Martinez, left, and his partner Karina Smirnoff perform on the celebrity dance competition series "Dancing with the Stars," in Los Angeles.

In this Nov. 14, 2011 image released by ABC, war veteran J.R. Martinez, left, and his partner Karina Smirnoff perform on the celebrity dance competition series "Dancing with the Stars," in Los Angeles.

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 23: Army veteran and winning contestant J.R. Martinez from the cast of "Dancing With The Stars" visits "Good Morning America" at ABC Studios on November 23, 2011 in New York City.

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 23: Army veteran and winning contestant J.R. Martinez from the cast of "Dancing With The Stars" visits "Good Morning America" at ABC Studios on November 23, 2011 in New York City.

Photo: Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images

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In this Nov. 21, 2011 photo released by ABC, J.R. Martinez, left, and his partner Karina Smirnoff perform on the celebrity dance competition series "Dancing with the Stars," in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, the remaining three couples will perform their favorite dance of the season for another score from the judges before the third-place finalists are eliminated. The remaining two pairs will compete in one final routine for the season 13 title.

In this Nov. 21, 2011 photo released by ABC, J.R. Martinez, left, and his partner Karina Smirnoff perform on the celebrity dance competition series "Dancing with the Stars," in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, the

DANCING WITH THE STARS - "Episode 1310" - All three couples competed against one another with two dances. The first number was a style the couples had not yet done. Then, all three contenders performed the always popular and fan favorite Freestyle dances, in the final one-hour performance show on "Dancing with the Stars," on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on ABC. (ABC/ADAM TAYLOR) J.R. MARTINEZ

DANCING WITH THE STARS - "Episode 1310" - All three couples competed against one another with two dances. The first number was a style the couples had not yet done. Then, all three contenders performed the

DANCING WITH THE STARS - "Episode 1310" - All three couples competed against one another with two dances. The first number was a style the couples had not yet done. Then, all three contenders performed the always popular and fan favorite Freestyle dances, in the final one-hour performance show on "Dancing with the Stars," on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on ABC. (ABC/ADAM TAYLOR) J.R. MARTINEZ, KARINA SMIRNOFF

DANCING WITH THE STARS - "Episode 1310" - All three couples competed against one another with two dances. The first number was a style the couples had not yet done. Then, all three contenders performed the

DANCING WITH THE STARS - "Episode 1310" - All three couples competed against one another with two dances. The first number was a style the couples had not yet done. Then, all three contenders performed the always popular and fan favorite Freestyle dances, in the final one-hour performance show on "Dancing with the Stars," on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on ABC. (ABC/ADAM TAYLOR) J.R. MARTINEZ, KARINA SMIRNOFF

DANCING WITH THE STARS - "Episode 1310" - All three couples competed against one another with two dances. The first number was a style the couples had not yet done. Then, all three contenders performed the

DANCING WITH THE STARS - J.R. MARTINEZ -- J.R. Martinez is an Iraq War veteran, motivational speaker and actor on ABC's "All My Children." He teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her 10th season. A dynamic lineup of stars will take the stage performing either the Cha Cha Cha or The Viennese Waltz for the two-hour season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars," MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

DANCING WITH THE STARS - J.R. MARTINEZ -- J.R. Martinez is an Iraq War veteran, motivational speaker and actor on ABC's "All My Children." He teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her 10th season. A

"Dancing With The Stars" winner, J.R. Martinez, waves to fans as he is welcomed home with an honorary parade in Dalton, Ga., on Saturday, January 7, 2012. The parade went through downtown Dalton and a photo and autograph session was scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (AP Photo/Chattanooga Times Free Press, Ashlee Culverhouse) MANDATORY CREDIT

"Dancing With The Stars" winner, J.R. Martinez, waves to fans as he is welcomed home with an honorary parade in Dalton, Ga., on Saturday, January 7, 2012. The parade went through downtown Dalton and a photo and

Iraq war veteran and "Dancing With The Stars" champion J.R. Martinez is grand marshal of the 123rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Monday, Jan. 2, 2012.

Iraq war veteran and "Dancing With The Stars" champion J.R. Martinez is grand marshal of the 123rd Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., Monday, Jan. 2, 2012.

Photo: AP

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J.R. Martinez, left, and Karina Smirnoff arrive at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

J.R. Martinez, left, and Karina Smirnoff arrive at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

Photo: Jeff Bottari, AP

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J.R. Martinez, left, and Karina Smirnoff arrive at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

J.R. Martinez, left, and Karina Smirnoff arrive at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

Photo: Jeff Bottari, AP

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J.R. Martinez, left, and Karina Smirnoff arrive at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

J.R. Martinez, left, and Karina Smirnoff arrive at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

Photo: Jeff Bottari, AP

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J.R. Martinez arrives at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

J.R. Martinez arrives at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

Photo: Jeff Bottari, AP

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J.R. Martinez arrives at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

J.R. Martinez arrives at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

Photo: Jeff Bottari, AP

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J.R. Martinez, left, and Karina Smirnoff arrive at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

J.R. Martinez, left, and Karina Smirnoff arrive at the iHeartRadio music festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, in Las Vegas.

Photo: Jeff Bottari, AP

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DANCING WITH THE STARS - J.R. MARTINEZ & KARINA SMIRNOFF -- J.R. Martinez is an Iraq War veteran, motivational speaker and actor on ABC's "All My Children." He teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her 10th season. A dynamic lineup of stars will take the stage performing either the Cha Cha Cha or The Viennese Waltz for the two-hour season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars," MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

DANCING WITH THE STARS - J.R. MARTINEZ -- J.R. Martinez is an Iraq War veteran, motivational speaker and actor on ABC's "All My Children." He teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her 10th season. A dynamic lineup of stars will take the stage performing either the Cha Cha Cha or The Viennese Waltz for the two-hour season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars," MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

DANCING WITH THE STARS - J.R. MARTINEZ -- J.R. Martinez is an Iraq War veteran, motivational speaker and actor on ABC's "All My Children." He teams with KARINA SMIRNOFF, who returns for her 10th season. A

FILE - In this April 10, 2007 file photo, actor and Iraq War veteran J.R. Martinez, is shown in New York. Martinez will be one of eleven celebrities competing on the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars."

FILE - In this April 10, 2007 file photo, actor and Iraq War veteran J.R. Martinez, is shown in New York. Martinez will be one of eleven celebrities competing on the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars."

Portrait of J.R. Martinez, 25, who is now living in New York city, is an actor on the television show All My Children, motivational speaker and advocate for the organizations such as the Bay Area Builders Association and Do the Write Thing, Friday, May 15, 2009, in Houston. Martinez was a 21-year-old U.S. Army corporal traveling in Kabala, Iraq when a land mine blew up the Humvee he was traveling in. The tattoo of a wrist watch on his wrist, Martinez said, signifies the time of day he was born, which happens to be the same time of day the accident occurred. He said the wrist watch he was wearing at the time of the accident helped save the skin on that part of his arm and hand. Martinez will the host for the Bands for Brothers and Sisters country music concert held in Pasadena on May 23 that benefits Bay Area Builder's Association that builds homes for severely wounded soldiers. ( Johnny Hanson / Chronicle )

Portrait of J.R. Martinez, 25, who is now living in New York city, is an actor on the television show All My Children, motivational speaker and advocate for the organizations such as the Bay Area Builders

Portrait of J.R. Martinez, 25, who is now living in New York city, is an actor on the television show All My Children, motivational speaker and advocate for the organizations such as the Bay Area Builders Association and Do the Write Thing, Friday, May 15, 2009, in Houston. Martinez was a 21-year-old U.S. Army corporal traveling in Kabala, Iraq when a land mine blew up the Humvee he was traveling in. Martinez will the host for the Bands for Brothers and Sisters country music concert held in Pasadena on May 23 that benefits Bay Area Builder's Association that builds homes for severely wounded soldiers. ( Johnny Hanson / Chronicle )

Portrait of J.R. Martinez, 25, who is now living in New York city, is an actor on the television show All My Children, motivational speaker and advocate for the organizations such as the Bay Area Builders

Portrait of J.R. Martinez, 25, who is now living in New York city, is an actor on the television show All My Children, motivational speaker and advocate for the organizations such as the Bay Area Builders Association and Do the Write Thing, Friday, May 15, 2009, in Houston. Martinez was a 21-year-old U.S. Army corporal traveling in Kabala, Iraq when a land mine blew up the Humvee he was traveling in. Martinez will the host for the Bands for Brothers and Sisters country music concert held in Pasadena on May 23 that benefits Bay Area Builder's Association that builds homes for severely wounded soldiers. ( Johnny Hanson / Chronicle )

Portrait of J.R. Martinez, 25, who is now living in New York city, is an actor on the television show All My Children, motivational speaker and advocate for the organizations such as the Bay Area Builders

METRO - J.R. Martinez, who was severely burned in Iraq almost two years ago, shoots basketballs in the Brooke Army Medical Center burn unit gym on Thursday, March 17, 2005. Martinez, a native of Georgia, has been working in the center's public affairs office. BILLY CALZADA / STAFF

METRO - J.R. Martinez, who was severely burned in Iraq almost two years ago, shoots basketballs in the Brooke Army Medical Center burn unit gym on Thursday, March 17, 2005. Martinez, a native of Georgia, has

J.R. Martinez, a wounded veteran and motivational speaker, compared the emotional toll of his burn injuries to a friend's betrayal.

“My best friend was that mirror,” Martinez told a packed McAllister Auditorium at San Antonio College, where the Iraq veteran-turned-actor spoke about his life and career Wednesday night.

Martinez suffered third-and second-degree burns to more than 34 percent of his body after a Humvee he was driving hit a land mine in Karbala, Iraq, in 2003. He spent almost three years at Brooke Army Medical Center (now San Antonio Military Medical Center), where he became a peer mentor for other wounded troops.

“I thought, ‘How can I live like this,' and all of sudden I got really angry,” he said, recalling the anger and depression he felt after seeing his scarred face for the first time.

His mother and a nurse who urged Martinez to talk to another burn patient helped him realize he had to stop being angry. “San Antonio, Texas — I call it my new birthplace,” he said.

After his recovery, Martinez became a motivational speaker and eventually turned to acting. A three-year stint on “All My Children” led to his appearance last fall on ABC's “Dancing With the Stars,” which he won.

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“I went from learning how to walk again to learning how to ballroom dance. Who would have ever thought that would happen,” he said.

During his hourlong speech, Martinez, a native of Shreveport, La., acknowledged the active military and veterans in the audience, including some of the nurses who helped him during his recovery. He exchanged playful banter with another burn-scarred Iraq veteran in the audience, comparing war injuries and joking about the dark humor that comes from tough situations.

“I'm on fire,” Martinez joked, waiting for a reaction from the audience.